My Summer Surprise

Remember when I told you that Momma had a summer surprise for me? Well, about a week ago she finally told me what the surprise was; a baby sister. That's right, I'm now a big sister to a little fur ball. She arrived in town on Friday and is staying with Auntie Mary until Momma gets home. 

I'm still unsure of this surprise. I mean, this means that I have to share MY momma with the little runt! Then again, I love babies. I'm a great Auntie...so could being a big sister be so much different? And this means that I have someone to boss around and tell scary stories to. And I could teach her all the proper things to do as a puppy in training for Guide Dogs for the Blind. I know that I chose not to be a Guide Dog, but that doesn't mean that I don't have a few tricks hidden in my kibble bowl. And she is kinda cute...a little...I guess. If you like that sort of cute, fluffy thing. 

I don't get to meet her until Momma comes home, but she's got pictures from Auntie Mary. So, here's my new, little sister DULCIE.

Dulcie off the puppy truck on Friday

Dulcie just off the puppy truck on Friday. She's smiling.

Dulcie at Auntie Mary's house...

Here she is in her puppy raising jacket. 

She's getting use to the tie down. Auntie Mary says that she  sleeps well and  doesn't really whine. I guess that's good. She won't disturb my beauty sleep. 

Momma gets home in exactly two weeks! That's fourteen days! The days are going to go by so slowly from here on out. Even if I have to share her attention with little Dulcie...I can't wait to see her. I get her all summer!

Love and Lab Kisses,
Hilly

Shaver Lake

About a week before Momma left she and I went to Shaver Lake. It's this lake up in the foothills that was created as a dam or something like that. I think it's still used like a dam or whatever it originally was built for, but it's also used for swimming and boating and all sorts of water fun. So, Momma and I went up with some of her friends so that we could all escape the heat of our hometown.

When we got there, it was so nice and cool that we thought it would be a good idea to sit down and have our picnic lunch. Everyone was so impressed with how I didn't beg for their sandwich meat and Momma had to explain that it was all apart of the training I had a Guide Dog Puppy. I wasn't allowed to have treats from any who wasn't holding onto my leash nor wash I allowed to jump up onto counters to eat the people food up there. I fact, I wasn't allowed any people food. I'm still not really. Momma says that I would get a tummy ach. Anyway, I was a super good girl while they sat and ate there lunch and was rewarded with some cheese and carrots that Momma brought for me.

Then people wanted to go swimming. I tried really hard to vote against this plan, but I was out numbered. Lucky for me, Momma and her friend Austin also didn't want to go swimming. So, while everyone else was renting a kayak (a funny looking, little boat) and swimming, we walked along the shore. There was the really, really big rock that we had to climb to get around the shore. Momma stood there for a while trying to figure out where she could go up with me and I got really bored of just waiting. So, I just bounced up the rock pulling Momma with me. She was shocked and said that I had to be at least half mountain goat to achieve what I just did. In response, I smiled at her. Hopping is one of my specialties. I even guiding her to a safe path down the other side. Who says I couldn't have been a good Guide Dog? *wags tail*

Me standing on the big rock

Momma thought it would be nice to put my ambassador scarf while standing on the big rock.

Eventually, Momma and Austin took off their shoes and wanted to stick their feet in the water. I indulged this ridiculous notiont that getting your feet wet is fun for a little. Ok, if I'm honest...it is started to seem less and less ridiculous now. But I still do not understand putting your whole body in the water. The walked around a little more and took a lot of pictures and switched turns being in the kayak.

Me sitting on the lake's beach with my ambassador scarf

It was super hot at this time so my tongue is hanging out extra long

I did decide to dip my feet in the water for a little while

Me sitting off from the water while Momma was still in the water

By this point it was pretty hot, so we decided to go back and climb the big rock again to head back to the car. We just hung out in the side next to the car for a while eating snacks and having something to drink. Well, they hung out and ate snacks. I took a big drink of water a promptly took a nap in the back seat of the car.

Then it was time to go home. We decided to chill out at Austin's house for a while before heading home since we were still pretty hot from the lake. But it was a really, really fun day!

Love and Lab Kisses,
Hilly

Dog Beach

Well, Momma left about a week ago. I've been a little too sad to post anything up. I miss her, but I'm going back to work now after my month of being off. Arwen told me that Momma used to go away for the whole summer and was back during the school year. I wish it was that way now. I know she comes back, but it feels like fur-ever before I see her again.
But, that's enough of the sad stuff. She sends me love and cuddles everyday, so I know she has not fur-gotten about me. Plus, you guys probably don't wanna hear me mope. You all wanna hear about what a fun summer I had. I'm hoping to post once a week. Hopefully it will work, but sometimes my "grandparents" need their computers.

Today I'm going to tell you all about my first time at an off leash dog beach! It was a lot like the dog park only bigger. Much, much bigger! I was so excited when we first got there that I ran the FULL length of the dog beach. I think Momma was a little worried that I would keep running and wouldn't come back, but she is silly like that sometimes. I stayed inside the boundaries like a good dog and came back to check in with Momma often. After a while she went to go sit with Grandma and Boo and just watched me play. I guess that means that I did good!

Me standing in front of the waves...but never in them!

Then I decided that it was time to get a little dirty. And what better way to do that than to roll in the sand. Momma was laughing so hard that she didn't get a picture of me, but she says that I put my head to the ground and almost "bulldozed" my way through the sand. Then I would roll back and forth and got my whole back covered in the stuff. Hey, if Momma can use it to ex-foli-ate her skin than so can I. What Momma did get a picture of was the after effect. I was super sandy for a couple of days.

A close up of my face. There is sand all over my nose and tongue and around my eyes.

One thing I do NOT fully understand. Did you guys know that some of the dogs there were getting into the water. I mean...they were SOAKING WET from head to tail. I just do not get how anydog would want to get into that cold, wet stuff unless it was for some good reason. And I definitely do not get how they actually think it's FUN. So when the other dogs chased their toys into the water to bring them back to their Mommas and Daddies (something I didn't fully understand until Momma got me this special toy and now I'm beginning to understand it more and more) I would have to wait until they got that darn ball and came out of the water to continue playing. Even Momma seemed to think that I should think getting wet is fun. So, I humored her and when she walked out into the ocean I followed her.

I did find a few other dogs who shared my views that water is to bathed in and not to play in. One of them was a handsome, long coated Collie. He reminded me a lot of my pal Kobe...except Kobe is like Arwen and is kinda grumbley sometimes. This Collie played a lot and he REALLY, REALLY liked me. I had to tell him that Momma doesn't allow me to date. But he was cool with that and we still got to be friends.

Me and my Collie friend running on the beach.

Me jumping my new Collie friend. I'm a jumper.

A line of three us going from smallest to biggest from right to left. I'm in the middle

We stayed at the beach for about 4 hours before we left to go home. Boo, my grandma's little poodle, did a little running around. But not much. He's also kinda grumbley. All in all I had a really, really fun time at the off leash dog beach. I hope me and Momma get to go more often next summer. *wags tail*

Another picture of me standing on the beach.

Me and my momma on the beach.

Me playing with a friend. She played that "fetch" game so I just chased her when she chased the ball. My momma says that at least she'll never have to worry about me being a ball thief at the park.

Hopefully I'll be back next week with some more adventures.

Love and Lab Kisses,
Hilly

Mostly Wordless Wednesday

More posts to come about my recent adventures. For now, enjoy this picture.

Me standing on a rock at the lake